Sugar cane juice strainer



Dec. 8, 1931. J, B, HUDSON 1,835,944

SUGAR CANE JUICE STRAINER Filed March 6, 1951 ATToRNEyS Patented Dec.` 8, 1931 UNirn1- STATES JOHN HUDSON, OF CHENEYYILLE, LOUISIANA ySUGAR, CANE JUICE STRAINER Application med March e, 1931. 'seriaiua 520km. l

My present invention has reference t a device for straining and cleaning cane juice prior to the making of sugar caney syrup in which the juice is directed through a filtering medium that comprises Spanish moss, forced by pressure through the moss and froml thence directed. through a screen on a division board to a compartment from whence 1t is delivered by a pipe to the cook pan or juice box.

To the attainment of the foregoing the intion consists in the improvement hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

Iny the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improvement. i

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure l is a transverse sectional view approximately on the line 4 4 of Figure 3. As disclosed by the drawings my improve- Vment contemplates the provision of a subi stantially rectangular box 1 which is preferably constructed of wood. rIhe ends ofthe box are received in grooves in the sides and bottom thereof, and nailed thereto, while rods engaged by nuts pass through the sides outward of the ends for effectively sustaining the strainer in proper shape. The inner sides of the box-like body of the improvement, at

a suitable distance from what I will term the rear end thereof, has attached thereto alining i pairs of vertical strips or cleats 2, while comparatively thick strips 41 are arranged lalong the bottom of the box between the opposed pairs of cleats and may be held positioned by dowel pins 5. By reference to the drawings it will be seen that'the outer faces of the cleats are beveled and that the ends of the strips 4 are likewise beveled so that the dowel pins 5 will effectively hold the strips against the cleats. The opposed pairs of cleats provide guideways for a division board 6. The

board, from its lower edge, is provided with an arcuate opening 7 which is closed by a strip of fine wire mesh 8 that is tacked or otherwise secured to the face of the division board.

evaporator or through another pipe to a" Thev divisionboard has one or both of vits sides, adjacent to its upper edge notched to afford a linger or hand grip and the ,division board is of a height equallingthat ofthe box-111e body 1. The division board e .and 55- the rear wall'of the box 1 provide thesaid box with aflltering compartment 8. The bottom wall of the compartment is provided with an'opening that is normally `closed by a plug 9 yand this plug is-only removed when a0 the filtering compartment is obe cleanedby forcing water'thereinto.' f

rlhe filtering medium in thecompartment 8 is in the nature off-'Spanish moss 9', 'the layers ofthe moss being properly arranged e5 one over the other and'on'the top surface of the moss I place weights 10. The weights' havetheir outer faces flared or bent and the weights are engaged by a strong'cord orlike flexible element 11 thatpasses through spaced "-10l pairs of openings 12 in the sides ofD the boxlikebody 1. The endsofthe cord 11 are knotted andthe cord is drawn taut to compress the' weights against the! filteringY me'- dium 9 and thereby compressthesaid ilter- 76" ing medium in the chamberS at desired intervals, such. intervals 'being regulated by the flowof the ccane juice through the filtering medium. Dirt'or other undesirable suby stances lwill be prevented fromy flowing through the opening 7 and the mesh 8 in the division board by the cleats 4c, the cleats being thus in the nature of trash catchers. The juice that flows overfthe outer cleat, which is arranged in the juice receiving chamber 13, will travel into'fa depression 14 in the bottom wall of the said4 compartment 13 and through an openingto 'which vis connected apipe15 that'is'directed to a cook pan or evaporator. The pipe 15 is arranged 90 near the outer end wall of the -compartment 13, and the side and end walls providedby thev depression are preferably flaredonarranged at an inward inclination. 'lhefcom-` partment 13 has one of its side walls pro- 95 vided withl another depression 16 thatcom'- municates with an opening 'in one' of the side wallsv of the compartment 13, the said opening receiving therein afpipe 175 ywhen the strained juice is to be delivered to a' juice 100 boX, in which event the opening in which the pipe 15 is received may be plugged and in a like manner when all ofthe juice is to be delivered .through the pipe 15 to the evaporator the opening in which the pipe 17 is arranged may be plugged.

My improvement is of an extremely simple nature, but by the employment thereof I have found from actual practice that the cane juice may be strained in a better and in a quicker manner than with .any other,

` construction with which I am acquainted.

The strainer saves both labor and lfuel and because of the employment of the Spanish moss as a ltering medium the syrup is given a diliierent and more delicious flavor than a cane syrup produced by other ltering mediums.

,It is thought the foregoing description will i fully and clearlyset forth theY construction of KLmy improvement to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates and the advantages thereof, but obviously Idonot wish to be restricted to the precise details herein setforth and, therefore, 'hold myself entitled to make suchchan'ges therefromasfairly fall. within the scope of what I claim.

Idonot Wish to be restricted to any specific type of material employed in the construction of my improvement asrthe same may be of wood, metalor any lother desired'substance or material.V Y

Having described the invention, I claim 1. A' .filtering device'for cane syrup` comprising a boXlike bodyr member` ha-ving spaced pairs of cleats'fiared to thesides there of, strips on the bottom of the body member in aline with the spaced pairs of cleats, a division board divided between the cleats dividing the body into a filtering compartspaced pairs of cleats fixed to the sides vthereof, strips on the bottom of the body member in a line with the spaced pairs of cleats, a'

division board guided between the cleats dividing the body into a filtering' compart ment and into a juice receiving compartment, said filtering compartment having its lower edge provided with an arcuate slot and a close-y ly woven meshstrip securedto the board and covering the slot afg-filtering Vzmedium comprisingpacking Ipanish moss into the lilter.

ing compartment, weights resting on the moss, a cord passed through openings in the sides Y of the filtering chamber contacting with the upper faces of the weightsand designed to have its ends knotted at intervals to force the weights against the moss to compress the moss, adjustable means contacting the Weights for 'moving the Lsame to compress the moss and the lower 'wall of the juice compartment having depressions and pipes communicating with Vsaid depressions. .Y

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature. JOI-IN B. HUDSON. 

